This invention relates to an individually packaged absorbent article.
Absorbent articles which are used to absorb body exudates, such as disposable diapers, adult incontinence products or sanitary napkins are well known. Such absorbent articles typically have a body surface which may include a liquid permeable topsheet, a garment surface which may include a liquid impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent therebetween. When the absorbent article is used, the body surface of the absorbent article is placed facing the wearer""s body and the garment surface is placed against the wearer""s undergarment. The body surface of the absorbent article must be kept hygienic prior to use of the absorbent article because the body surface directly touches the wearer""s body. Typically, an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin is individually wrapped by a wrapper to protect the absorbent article from contamination. Such individually packaged absorbent articles are disclosed in, for example, JP Utility Model Laid-open publication 95/39820 published on Jul. 18, 1995, JP Utility Model Laid-open publication 94/75446 published on Oct. 25, 1994, and JP Patent Laid-open publication 91/176376 published on Jul. 31, 1991. In certain known designs, an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin is folded into three portions such that the body surface of the sanitary napkin is oriented inwardly to the folded sanitary napkin and the garment surface is wrapped by a wrapper. The garment surface of the sanitary napkin also includes a main fastener, which is covered by the wrapper, to secure the sanitary napkin to the undergarment. In these absorbent articles, the body surface is protected from contact by the wearer""s hands before the sanitary napkin is unfolded for application to the wearer""s undergarment. However, the wearer must open and remove the wrapper from the sanitary napkin and unfold the sanitary napkin when applying the sanitary napkin to the wearer""s undergarment. In the configuration where the wrapper and the sanitary napkin are opened, the main fastener of the sanitary napkin is still covered by the wrapper and is not exposed while the body surface of the sanitary napkin is exposed. Therefore, the wearer must remove the wrapper from the sanitary napkin to expose the main fastener. During this process, the wearer may touch the body surface of the sanitary napkin. This causes body surface contamination. In addition, while the wearer applies the sanitary napkin to the undergarment after removing the wrapper, the wearer tends to apply the sanitary napkin by touching the body surface and/or by pushing the body surface of the sanitary napkin toward the undergarment to secure the main fastener provided on the garment surface to the undergarment. This also causes body surface contamination. Thus, there is no convenient means to protect the body surface of the sanitary napkin while the wearer removes the wrapper from the sanitary napkin and applies the sanitary napkin to the undergarment.
Attempts to protect the body surface of the sanitary napkin during the application of the sanitary napkin to the undergarment have been made. For example, JP Patent Laid-open publication 96/56989 discloses an absorbent article such as a sanitary napkin having a surface cover sheet covering the body surface of the main body portion of the sanitary napkin. This sanitary napkin also has a release paper covering adhesive provided on the garment surface of the sanitary napkin. The wearer must remove the release paper covering the adhesive of the garment surface before the wearer applies the sanitary napkin to the undergarment. It is quite inconvenient for the wearer.
Base on the foregoing, there is a need for an absorbent article individually packaged by a wrapper having a main wrapper sheet wherein the body surface of the absorbent article remains protected from, e.g., the wearer""s hands during unwrapping and application. None of the existing art provides all of the advantages and benefits of the present invention.
The present invention provides an individually packaged absorbent article. The individually packaged absorbent article comprises an absorbent article and a wrapper. The absorbent article extends in a longitudinal direction and includes a main body portion having a pair of longitudinal side edges, a pair of end edges, a garment surface, and a body surface. The garment surface of the main body portion has a main fastener. The wrapper for the absorbent article has a main wrapper sheet and a main fastener cover. The body surface of the main body portion is disposed to face the main wrapper sheet. The main fastener of the main body portion is covered by the main fastener cover. The main fastener cover is joined to the main wrapper sheet. The main body portion and the wrapper are folded as a unit at least about one transverse axis such that the garment surface is oriented inwardly with respect to the folded unit. At least a part of the main fastener is exposed when the wrapper is opened.